Another Cluster of Events!

You're going to be quite sore at me for this, but I am not 

going to be able to get together with you this week or next. 

Among the things claiming space on my schedule are

some friends and one family member, all from Ireland,

coming in and of course we're going to get together. 

We see each other every one or two years, which is 

come to town on tour to play; they are the High Kings 

and we're closely knit, having known each other 

for years.  

I'm also attending a memorial service for a friend 

who was a well-known member of our Greater Celtic

Community, being a musician in a local band that plays

Irish and other Celtic world music, and another friend

who was a fellow parishioner at my church who was

fatally injured in a car accident. I also have some 

medical appointments which will make sure that I

will not yet have my memorial service! No, I kid 

about that last bit, I have the medical appointments

but of late my doctors have given me some good 

reports on the state of my physical health. Now if I 

could just lose some weight ... but I'm grateful for the 

news that I shall be around for quite some time to come.

Furthermore, I shall be celebrating Saint Patrick's Day

at my favorite Irish pub, O'Donoghue's, in nearby Elm Grove

with more friends, including the proprietor Jamie O'Donoghue

who with his family runs the pub. Also, I'll be attending 

a meeting of the debate club I belong to, the Anti-Echo Chamber.

I will, of course, be busy preparing my argument regarding a

political topic. I never hurry with them; I always take my time

so as to craft my argument thoroughly and carefully, adding 

pertinent points and presenting them in a clear, sharp, and 

forceful manner. I'm having a ball with my fellow debaters,

and I only wish I could have gotten into debating sooner 

in life, but I don't mind being a 68-year-old rookie debater

and am enjoying every minute of it.

Tax time is here too, and The Peasant shall get together with 

my tax preparer and accountant, a good friend and fellow 

parishioner at my church.

Finally, I want to grab some time before it escapes me so I can 

write some letters to some family members and friends which I

have put off for far too long. So I have a full plate, as you all 

can see. But fear not, as your faithful Peasant shall be with you

again by around the end of this month of March. Thank you all 

for your patience, your understanding, and your kind indulgence.

I'll make it worth your while!

MEM

Lou Holtz, R.I.P.

The Peasant didn't play football in college, as I concentrated

on other activities and of course my studies. But if I wanted

to play football at that level I would have wanted Lou Holtz

for my coach.

Coach Lou Holtz had a wonderful way of developing players

and making them confident in their abilities and their game

without constantly being on their backs, berating and bellowing

all the while, as some coaches are wont to do. Holtz rarely got

angry at a player, only when the player did something 

monumentally stupid. Coach Holtz, a native of West Virginia,

had a homespun sense of humor and of viewing life which he 

passed along to his players, his coaching staffs, and to his

audiences he spoke to when he was on the lecture circuit.

Holtz kept football fun, and made it more so for not only his 

teams, but for the fans.

After some years as an assistant coach for the renown Ohio State

coach Woody Hayes, Coach Holtz was a head coach for six 

college teams and one NFL team, the New York Jets. While not

so successful at New York (the Jets won all of three games in his 

only season) he compiled a record of 249-132-7 in the college

ranks with his greatest success in reinvigorating Notre Dame's

program resulting in 100 wins and a national title in 1988,

going undefeated that season. It was the Fighting Irish's last

time they went undefeated as well as having won the NCAA-I

football crown. He left his position as the head coach there,

stating that he accomplished all that he wanted to and didn't want

to "maintain the program anymore", rather than growing it.

Seeing no room for that growth, he left and became the head coach

at South Carolina, taking a weak team with a weak program and 

getting it into bowl games which they won.

After retiring, Coach Holtz had more time for public speaking 

and was highly regarded as a motivational speaker, addressing 

business folk, athletes, athletic coaches and educators among

other audiences. One of his most famous sayings was what he

told many an audience: "You're never as good as everyone tells 

you when you win, and you're never as bad as they say when 

you lose." He used this gem of wisdom to keep his players'

spirits up and their egos in check.

The coach was a devout Catholic, and therefore was a good fit

for Notre Dame, both the football team and the university.

Coach Holtz entered a hospice a few weeks earlier, and passed 

away there yesterday at 89. Lou Holtz left a legacy of success

tempered by humility, gratitude, enthusiasm, positivity, and 

love for the game, his teams, his family, and his friends, of 

which he had many. He was also very patriotic, and was a 

staunch conservative who was once seriously considered for

public office by the Republican Party. He was a supporter of

President Donald J. Trump, and had a warm friendship with

him. Godspeed Coach! Now you are coaching the saints (and I

don't mean New Orleans!) to gridiron success. 

Requiescat in pace. 

MEM

Mamdani's Bank-Breaking (and Back-Breaking) Budget

Socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor in New York

city in a landslide. And boy does he know that "To the victor 

goes the spoils"; he is certainly living it up enjoying the 

spoils. Right off the bat Mamdani is threatening to raise NYC 

property taxes unless the Democrats in Albany hike taxes on 

top earners and businesses. In other words, plunder the wealthy 

for Mamdani or Hizzoner will plunder them and the middle

class to boot. 

Mayor Mamdani's first budget for the Big Apple is a big budget;

$127 billion. He had the unmitigated gall to call his budget 

"austere" (!). It's a $10 billion increase over this year's budget.

Never mind that New York, both the city and the state, are 

swimming in tax revenue because of huge capital-gains 

realizations and Wall Street bonuses, tax collections haven't 

matched political spending and government employee benefits.

Mamdani stated that NYC is staring in the face of a $5 billion

deficit. But wait 'til you read the next paragraph in this post

to see some of the things on his wish list! 

What does Mamdani desire?  He wants to increase taxes on the

aforementioned top earners and businesses, using some of the swag 

to do even more spending than that already being done by Gotham.

The increased spending would be for universal child care, free buses,

buying or starting grocery stores and have them run by the municipal

government (!!) so as to have low prices on food for NYC's lower-

income people (so what's happened with EBT cards?) and other 

socialistic pipe dreams. As it currently is, the top 1% of New York

City's earners pay almost half of all the city's income taxes.

And Mamdani says they are not paying their fair share? What, 

pray tell Mayor Mamdani, is this "fair share" that you allude to?

60%? 75%? 90%? All of it ??? You would, in effect, make it all

but illegal to make and keep substantial income revenues!

Mamdani self-righteously states "I believe the wealthiest individuals

and most profitable corporations should contribute a little more 

so that everyone can live lives of dignity," This notion has long been

the rationale for raising taxes on not only the wealthy but the middle 

class of NYC as well, and what is there to show for it in the quality

of life for the lower-income New Yorkers? They are still down in 

the pocket, still struggling to pay their rent, to buy food, to pay 

for medicine and medical care, and so on. And they're not living 

in any significantly upgraded homes nor any new, more comfortable

homes. Besides, NYC rents are astronomical. So what gives? 

Ah, but the new mayor has a solution for the housing troubles: 

the creation of 200,000 new, "permanently affordable" housing 

units (?!). Union-made, of course. What's he going to do, 

implement another round of rent control? Some relevant facts:

rent control has a pretty dim history due to a lousy track record.

And who will be the landlords? The run-down areas of the city

have fallen into this sorry state because the property owners could

not afford necessary maintenance, with rent control making it 

difficult to raise rents to get the necessary funds. Finally, the artificially

lower rents will have to rise sooner or later, and when they do they

find their efficient cost levels the rents will be greatly higher 

than what most low-income renters can afford.

Meanwhile, top earners and businesses are starting to pack up and 

move out of both the city and the state, leaving for states with more

sensible, affordable, and reasonable tax rates and fewer taxes to pay.

The self-proclaimed "progressives" they are leaving behind are 

wondering why so many people are fleeing the New Yorks for 

greener pastures and less financial confiscation. They just don't get it.

Their hero the mayor certainly doesn't grasp what is happening here.

His very obvious goal is to raise public pressure on Albany to stick it

to bigger earners: "We do not want to have to turn to such drastic

measures to balance our budget," Mamdani said of his threatened 

property tax hike. Now pull the other one, Mister Mayor, it's got bells

on it! And balancing the city's budget is the least of Mamdani's 

concerns. If he would exercise some spending discipline and restraint,

he wouldn't need to jack up any taxes in his city. Simply keeping 

spending flat would eliminate 2026's budget deficit. But don't bet on

his doing that.

Remember when New York City went broke in the '70s, and begged 

Washington for a handout to help? Mayor Mamdani might make 

New York so broke that it would make the '70s look like boom times.

Such is socialism, and such are socialists.

MEM 

Bridgitte Bardot, R.I.P.

Bridgitte Bardot's heyday was when I was a mere boy, but I was

certainly aware of her, even having never seen any of her movies

(I still haven't). She was one of the world's most beautiful women;

I certainly saw that, even though I was not of the age where I could

more greatly appreciate this fact. The lady was an internationally

acclaimed film actress, and had retired from acting while at her

most famous and most beautiful, having appeared in movies for 

twenty years. In a later stage of her life, Bardot took up the cause 

of animal rights, especially harp seals in the Arctic which were 

relentlessly hunted. Strong opinions were also a part and parcel of 

the model-turned-actress; in 2000 her commentary on Islam and 

on homosexuality got her in trouble with the French government,

which socked this French conservative with fines on five separate 

occasions for incitement. But through it all, Brigitte Bardot was 

always and unapologetically herself --- living her life in that very

fashion. No apologies, no regrets. Departed at 91. Au revoir, Bridgitte.

Requiescat in pace. 

MEM

A Terrible Happening

The mother of NBC's Today Show personality Savannah Guthrie,

Nancy Guthrie has been abducted and is being held for ransom,

with her captor(s) demanding payment in Bitcoin for information

on Nancy's kidnapper(s). The FBI is conducting a fresh search of

Nancy's Catalina Foothills neighborhood north of Tucson, Arizona

to find the Guthrie matriarch and/or her abductor(s); Nancy Guthrie

has been missing since January 31, 2026.

On that date Nancy went to her family's home for a visit and to have 

dinner with them. At 9:48 PM, her garage door opened, then closed.

Police believed that this is when she returned home and was going 

to bed. On February 1 at 1:47 AM, the doorbell camera disconnected.

Software detected someone on camera but no video is available 

because the camera "loops". The detection was made at 2:12 AM.

At 2:28 AM her pacemaker disconnected. The family checked in on

Nancy at 11:56 AM  and drops of blood was found near her door. 

In a social media post, FBI Director Kash Patel shared some pictures 

of the alleged abductor for the first time. A former FBI agent told the 

Washington Post that the bizarre way in which the suspect carried his

gun, along with the slapdash way he tried to cover up a second camera,

pointed to an inexperienced criminal, at least when it comes to 

kidnappings. 

A plea for my readers in the Tucson vicinity: keep your eyes out for 

Nancy Guthrie. Nancy is 84 years old, stands 5'5" and weighs 150 

pounds, has brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen at her home 

on the evening of January 31, near East Skyline Drive and North 

Campbell Ave. It is not known what clothes she might be wearing.

If you see her or someone who looks like they may be her, please

call the Tuscon Police and/or the FBI to inform. It is not known at

this point in time if she is still alive. Time is truly of the essence.

And say a prayer for her swift and safe return to her family,

and that her kidnapper(s) get found and brought to justice.

The Guthries have no idea where Nancy is or what physical 

condition she is in. The Peasant thanks you all profusely and

gratefully, and thanks the New York Post for the detailed information

that they were able to obtain at this juncture. 

MEM

Apologies for My Unplanned Absence

Your beleaguered Peasant apologizes for my being away the past 

two weeks; place the blame on two culprits: frigid winter weather

and a bad back (strained muscles), both rendering me housebound.

The weather here in southeastern Wisconsin has warmed to normal

winter temperatures and my back is better so I have returned to be 

with you, my wonderful and understanding readers. In the meantime

I celebrated my birthday flat on my back in bed with my cell phone

within easy reach, getting calls from family and friends wishing me 

a happy birthday (my 68th) and snuggling up with Brownie, my 

affectionate cat. 

We shall resume our activities here on this blog, getting back down

to business in a few days. I should also inform you all that due to 

possibly more twists and turns in the weather, and should my back 

fail to hold up and/or if anything else in my body goes "SPROING!!!"

I shall post whenever I can, as often as I can. No particular day. 

At least Spring is now within sight; 6 1/2 more weeks and it's here! 

Then, if Old Man Winter would be good enough to pack his bags

and conclude his visit on schedule (for once!) things will be much

more comfortable around here. But for now, let's take things one 

day at a time and we'll get through all this successfully.

It's good to be back!

MEM

Goodbye and Get Lost!

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has resigned from Congress

toward the end of 2025 and gave her departure date as January 5.

That date has been and gone, and with it her wacky stint in the House 

of Representatives. 

MTG has not distinguished herself in any positive way during her time 

there. She exited quite suddenly, likely to avoid a Trump-endorsed

primary candidate who would have easily won, her leaving also being

spurred by her badgering the Trump administration to release the 

supposed Epstein files. She ran out on her district constituents who

elected her (and they likely now regret having elected her in the 

first place and don't miss her one iota). National Review opined 

that "judging by her recent TV appearances, The View seems to suit 

her better than the U.S. House". Your bemused Peasant couldn't 

put it better. 

With all that's at stake in our country at this time, we can't afford to 

have to battle loose cannons in our ranks rather than our foes

in the other party.

MEM